A key term is that part of a question which states or reveals its subject.

In some questions, it is not always stated directly. It might be implied or taken for granted.

You should look for the difference between key terms and instruction terms.

Instructions tell you what to do with the subject.

Example I

"Discuss the significance of railways in the Industrial Revolution."

Both the terms 'railways' and 'Industrial Revolution' are key terms here.

You are asked to concentrate on one topic - railways.

You must deal with one historical period - the Industrial Revolution.

The term 'discuss' on the other hand is an instruction term.

It tells you how to approach the question.

Example - II

"To what extent was Clement Atlee a successful politician?"

The key term here is successful politician. But this isn't as straightforward as it might first appear.

Successful could mean 'winning general elections and being well known as leader of the Labour Party'.

But it could mean 'devising new policies and making sure they got through Parliament'.

To what extent is an instruction term.

You are free to construct your own response.

General tips

Don't always expect key terms to be obvious.

They might also be expressed in very ordinary language.

Sometimes you need to think carefully about the implications of the subject.

You should be prepared to analyse questions very carefully.

These guidelines apply to essay questions, exam questions, and project titles.